Electronic Device with Locking, Movable Displays

Abstract

An electronic device comprises one or more input devices configured to receive user input from a device user, a first display configured to display first visual content to the device user, and a second display configured to display second visual content to the device user and movable between first and second positions, wherein at least a portion of the second display is hidden from the user in one of the first and second positions and visible to the device user in the other. The device further comprises an electronically controlled retaining mechanism configured to retain the second display in the first position when engaged and a control circuit configured to execute an interactive user application, to control the display of the first and second visual content on the first and second displays, and to disengage the retaining mechanism in response to a pre-determined combination of user input and/or application state.

1 . An electronic device comprising:
 one or more input devices configured to receive user input from a device user;   a first display configured to display first visual content to the device user;   a second display configured to selectively display second visual content to the device user and movable between first and second positions, wherein at least a portion of the second display is hidden from the user in one of the first and second positions and is visible to the device user in the other;   an electronically controlled retaining mechanism configured to retain the second display in the first position when engaged; and   a control circuit configured to execute an interactive user application, to control the display of the first and second visual content on the first and second displays, and to disengage the retaining mechanism in response to a first pre-determined application state.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to disengage the retaining mechanism in response to the first pre-determined application state and at least one pre-determined user input. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one pre-determined user input comprises a pre-determined sequence of user inputs, a pre-determined combination of simultaneous user inputs, or both. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the second display is visible in the second position and wherein the control circuit is further configured to display the second visual content on the second display in response to the first pre-determined application state. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the second display is configured to slide between the first and second positions, under manual control of the user, when the retaining mechanism is disengaged. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the control circuit comprises a detection circuit configured to detect movement of the second display to at least one of the first and second positions, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to vary the second visual content displayed on the second display based on the second display's position. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the electronically controlled retaining mechanism comprises a drive mechanism configured to move the second display between the first and second positions under the control of the control circuit, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to disengage the retaining mechanism in response to the first pre-determined application state by activating the drive mechanism to move the second display from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 7 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the drive mechanism to move the second display from the second position to the first position in response to a second pre-determined application state. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a drive mechanism separate from said electronically controlled retaining mechanism and configured to move the second display between the first and second positions under the control of the control circuit, wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the drive mechanism to move the second display from the first position to the second position in response to the first pre-determined application state. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the drive mechanism to move the second display from the second position to the first position in response to a second pre-determined application state. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the electronically controlled retaining mechanism comprises one or more of:
 a linear actuator, including a piston configured to retain the second display in the first position when engaged;   a linear solenoid, including a shaft configured to retain the second display in the first position when engaged; and   a magnetic latch.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the electronically controlled retaining mechanism comprises a rotating shaft coupled to a radially projecting element so that the radially projecting element retains the second display in the first position when the shaft is in a first orientation but allows the second display to move from the first position when the shaft is in a second orientation. 
     
     
         13 . A method of controlling a electronic device having first and second displays, the second display movable between first and second positions, wherein at least a portion of the second display is hidden from a device user in one of the first and second positions and visible to the device user in the other, the method comprising:
 executing an interactive user application;   controlling the display of first and second visual content on the first and second displays, respectively, responsive to input from the device user and the interactive user application; and   selectively disengaging an electronically controlled retaining mechanism configured to retain the second display in the first position when engaged, in response to a first pre-determined application state.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein selectively disengaging the electronically controlled retaining mechanism comprises disengaging the retaining mechanism in response to the first pre-determined application state and at least one pre-determined user input. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the portion of the second display is visible in the second position and wherein controlling the display of first and second visual content comprises displaying the second visual content on the second display in response to the first pre-determined application state. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second display is configured to slide between the first and second positions, under manual control of the user, when the retaining mechanism is disengaged, the method further comprising selectively displaying the second visual content on the second display in response to movement of the second display to the position in which the portion of the second display is visible. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the electronically controlled retaining mechanism comprises a drive mechanism configured to move the second display between the first and second positions, and wherein selectively disengaging the electronically controlled retaining mechanism comprises activating the drive mechanism to move the second display from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising activating the drive mechanism to move the second display from the second position to the first position in response to a second pre-determined application state. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the electronic device further includes a drive mechanism separate from said retaining mechanism and configured to move the second display between the first and second positions, the method further comprising activating the drive mechanism to move the second display from the first position to the second position in response to the first pre-determined application state. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising activating the drive mechanism to move the second display from the second position to the first position in response to a second pre-determined application state.